scholarly journals The Differentially Expressed Circular RNAs in the Substantia Nigra and Corpus Striatum of Nrf2-Knockout Mice

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 936-951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Hui Yang ◽  
Run-Jiao Zhang ◽  
Jia-Jie Lin ◽  
Ming-Chao Cao ◽  
Qie Wang ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway plays a protective role in both acute neuronal damage and chronic neurodegeneration-related oxidative stress. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved with various diseases in the central nervous system (CNS). This study aimed to identify the key circRNAs involved in Nrf2-neuroprotection against oxidative stress. Methods: The differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum between Nrf2 (-/-) and Nrf2 (+/+) mice were identified by microarray analysis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was then used to validate the expression of selected DEcircRNAs in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum between Nrf2 (-/-) and Nrf2 (+/+) mice. Based on our previous microarray analysis of the differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum between Nrf2 (-/-) and Nrf2 (+/+) mice, the DEcircRNA-miRNA-DEmRNA interaction network was constructed. Functional annotation of DEmRNAs that shared the same binding miRNAs with DEcircRNAs was performed using gene ontology (GO) and pathway analyses. Results: A total of 65 and 150 significant DEcircRNAs were obtained in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum of Nrf2 (-/-) mice, respectively, and seventeen shared DEcircRNAs were found in both these two tissues. The qRT-PCR results were generally consistent with the microarray results. The DEcircRNA-miRNA-DEmRNA interaction network and pathway analysis indicated that mmu_circRNA_34132, mmu_circRNA_017077 and mmu-circRNA-015216 might be involved with Nrf2-mediated neuroprotection against oxidative stress. Mmu_circRNA_015216 and mmu_circRNA_017077 might play roles in the Nrf2-related transcriptional misregulation and Nrf2-mediated processes of rheumatoid arthritis, respectively. In addition to these two processes, mmu_circRNA_34132 may be a potential regulator of Nrf2-mediated protection for diabetes mellitus and Nrf2-mediated defence against ROS in hearts. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study identified the key DEcircRNAs in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum of Nrf2 (-/-) mice, which might provide new clues for further exploring the mechanism of Nrf2-mediated neuroprotection against oxidative stress and other Nrf2-mediated processes.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Lan ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Menglin Zou ◽  
Yihang Xie ◽  
Yiye Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundArteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the most common renal replacement therapy for uremic patients. However, stenosis in AVF may lead to AVF failure, hence prevention and effective management of AVF failure is an issue to be addressed. circular RNAs (circRNAs) dysregulation may be pivotal for the development and progression of AVF stenosis. MethodsFour stenosed tissues from AVF outflow veins and four normal venous tissues without vascular stenosis were collected for RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). The circRNAs expression profiles were identified by high-throughput sequencing, and the functions and pathways of differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs were annotated by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Seven DE circRNAs were screened for quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation. circRNA-miRNA interaction network was constructed. ResultsA total of 17,620 circRNA transcripts were examined by RNA-seq, and 208 DE circrRNAs were identified between AG and CG, of which 92 were upregulated and 116 were downregulated. The expression trend in the four selected circRNAs was validated by qRT-PCR, which was consistent with the RNA-seq results. Dysregulated circRNAs may be involved in stenosis by mediating focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathway. ConclusionOur study revealed abnormal circRNA expression in stenosed tissues of the AVF outflow vein, which was functionally classified. The results indicated that DE circRNAs in the stenosed tissues of AVF and their related FAK pathway have potential to be targets for the prevention and treatment of AVF failure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Sun ◽  
Bo Han ◽  
Dongxiao Cai ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Diandong Jiang ◽  
...  

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as essential regulators and biomarkers in various diseases. To assess the different expression levels of circRNAs in pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (PDCM) and explore their biological and mechanistic significance, we used RNA microarrays to identify differentially expressed circRNAs between three children diagnosed with PDCM and three healthy age-matched volunteers. The biological function of circRNAs was assessed with a circRNA–microRNA (miRNA)–mRNA interaction network constructed from Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Differentially expressed circRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in 25 children with PDCM and 25 healthy volunteers. We identified 257 up-regulated (fold change ≤ 0.5, P < 0.05) and 899 down-regulated (fold change ≥2, P < 0.05) circRNAs in PDCM patients when compared to healthy volunteers. The qRT-PCR experiments confirmed has_circ_0067735 down-regulation (0.45-fold, P < 0.001), has_circ_0070186 up-regulation (2.82-fold, P < 0.001), and has_circ_0069972 down-regulation (0.50-fold, P < 0.05). A functional analysis of these differentially expressed circRNAs suggests that they are associated with hypertrophy, remodeling, fibrosis, and autoimmunity. CircRNAs have been implicated in PDCM through largely unknown mechanisms. Here we report differentially expressed circRNAs in PDCM patients that may illuminate the mechanistic roles in the etiology of PDCM that could serve as non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyuan Liu ◽  
Shan Wu ◽  
Dan Jiang ◽  
Yuliang Qu ◽  
Hongxia Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Abnormal expression of Circular RNAs (circRNAs) occurs in the occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of tumors. We combined bioinformatics and laboratory-validated methods to search for key circRNAs and possible potential mechanisms. Methods: Colorectal cancer tissues and normal paracancerous tissues were detected by microarray analysis and qRT-PCR validation, and differentially expressed circRNAs were screened and identified. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network (cirReNET) was constructed, Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were used to ascertain the functions of circRNAs in CRCs. In addition, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of hub genes which acquired by string and plugin app CytoHubba in cytoscape was established. Validation of expression of hub genes was identified by GEPIA database. Results: 564 differentially expressed circRNAs which include 207 up-regulated and 357 down-regulated circRNAs were detected. The top 3 up-regulated circRNAs (hsa_circRNA_100833, hsa_circRNA_103828, hsa_circRNA_103831) and the top 3 down-regulated circRNAs (hsa_circRNA_103752, hsa_circRNA_071106, hsa_circRNA_102293) in chip analysis were chosen to be verified in 33 pairs of CRCs by qRT-PCR. The cirReNET include of 6 circRNAs, 19 miRNAs and 210 mRNA. And the targeted mRNAs were associated with cellular metabolic process, cell cycle and glandular epithelial cell differentiation and so on. 12 and 10 target hub genes were shown separately in upregulated circRNA-downregulated miRNA-upregulated mRNA (UcDiUm-RNA) group and downregulated circRNA-upregulated miRNA-downregulated mRNA (DcUiDm-RNA) group. Finally, we may have predicted and discovered several critical circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory axes (cirReAXEs) which may play important roles in colorectal cancer. Conclusion: We constructed a cirReNET including 6 candidate circRNAs, which were crucial in CRCs, may become potential diagnostic markers and predictive indicators of CRCs, and we may provide a research direction for the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiaoyou Weng ◽  
Minjiang Chen ◽  
Maoquan Li ◽  
Yong-Fa Zheng ◽  
Guoliang Shao ◽  
...  

BackgroundIncreasing evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved tumourigenesis and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, progression about its function in HCC is relatively slow. Here, we aimed to investigate whether plasma circRNAs could reflect the tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in HCC tumour tissues and serve as prognosis biomarker for HCC.MethodsTissue samples of patients with HCC were subjected to immunohistochemistry staining against CD8 to examine the TILs. Then, we investigated the expression profile of circRNAs by microarray between plasma of patients with HCC with high TILs and low TILs, and the differentially expressed circRNAs were validated with qRT-PCR. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software and GraphPad Prism.ResultsWe have demonstrated that patients with HCC with high TILs exhibit a significant better overall survival, suggesting clinical outcome could be predicted by TILs. Global circRNA microarray between plasma of patients with HCC with high TILs and low TILs successfully identified six differentially expressed novel circRNAs. Among them, the expression ofhsa_circ_0064428was significantly reduced in patients with HCC with high TILs but increased in patients with low TILs. Moreover,hsa_circ_0064428was negatively correlated with patient’s survival, tumour size and metastasis.ConclusionThese findings together imply thathsa_circ_0064428could be considered as a potential HCC prognosis biomarker. Future in-depth research is required to further illustrate the involvement ofhsa_circ_0064428in HCC tumourigenesis and metastasis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Peng Ren ◽  
Jingwei Chen ◽  
Bingxuan Li ◽  
Mengzhou Zhang ◽  
Bei Yang ◽  
...  

Introduction. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Accumulating evidence has revealed that the slow progressive deterioration of AD is associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammation in the brain. Nuclear factor erythroid 2- (NF-E2-) related factor 2 (Nrf2), which acts through the Nrf2/ARE pathway, is a key regulator of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory response. Although recent data show a link between Nrf2 and AD-related cognitive decline, the mechanism is still unknown. Thus, we explored how Nrf2 protects brain cells against the oxidative stress and inflammation of AD in a mouse model of AD (APP/PS1 transgenic (AT) mice) with genetic removal of Nrf2. Methods. The spatial learning and memory abilities of 12-month-old transgenic mice were evaluated using a Morris water maze test. Hippocampal levels of Nrf2, Aβ, and p-tauS404 and of astrocytes and microglia were determined by immunostaining. Inflammatory cytokines were determined by ELISA and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Oxidative stress was measured by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine immunohistochemistry, and the antioxidant response was determined by qRT-PCR. Results. The spatial learning and memory abilities of AT mice were impaired after Nrf2 deletion. Aβ and p-tauS404 accumulation was increased in the hippocampus of AT/Nrf2-KO mice. Astroglial and microglial activation was exacerbated, followed by upregulation of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Conclusion. Our present results show that Nrf2 deficiency aggravates AD-like pathology in AT mice. This phenotype was associated with increased levels of oxidative and proinflammatory markers, which suggests that the Nrf2 pathway may be a promising therapeutic target for AD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiacheng Wu ◽  
Shui Liu ◽  
Yien Xiang ◽  
Xianzhi Qu ◽  
Yingjun Xie ◽  
...  

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and is associated with a high mortality rate and poor treatment efficacy. In an attempt to investigate the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of HCC, bioinformatic analysis and validation by qRT-PCR were performed. Three circRNA GEO datasets and one miRNA GEO dataset were selected for this purpose. Upon combined biological prediction, a total of 11 differentially expressed circRNAs, 15 differentially expressed miRNAs, and 560 target genes were screened to construct a circRNA-related ceRNA network. GO analysis and KEGG pathway analysis were performed for the 560 target genes. To further screen key genes, a protein-protein interaction network of the target genes was constructed using STRING, and the genes and modules with higher degree were identified by MCODE and CytoHubba plugins of Cytoscape. Subsequently, a module was screened out and subjected to GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis. This module included eight genes, which were further screened using TCGA. Finally, UBE2L3 was selected as a key gene and the hsa_circ_0009910–miR-1261–UBE2L3 regulatory axis was established. The relative expression of the regulatory axis members was confirmed by qRT-PCR in 30 pairs of samples, including HCC tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues. The results suggested that hsa_circ_0009910, which was upregulated in HCC tissues, participates in the pathogenesis of HCC by acting as a sponge of miR-1261 to regulate the expression of UBE2L3. Overall, this study provides support for the possible mechanisms of progression in HCC.


2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 571-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunmin Wang ◽  
Jingchuan Sun ◽  
Haisong Yang ◽  
Weiguo Zou ◽  
Bing Zheng ◽  
...  

AbstractThe functional changes of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are considered to be the initiating factors of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), and the differentially expressed circRNAs in NP cells may play an important role in the process of IDD. To identify circular RNAs (circRNAs) associated with human IDD, we isolated the NP cells from human degenerated and non-degenerated intervertebral disc and identified NP cells by microscopy and cell proliferation. CircRNA microarray expression profiles were obtained from NP cells of degenerated and non-degenerated intervertebral disc and further validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). The expression data were analyzed by bioinformatics. Microarray analysis identified 7294 circRNAs differentially expressed in degenerated human IDD NP cells. Among them, 3724 circRNAs were up-regulated and 3570 circRNAs were down-regulated by more than 2 folds. After validating by qRT-PCR, we predicted the possible miRNAs of the top dysregulated circRNAs using TargetScan, and miRanda. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that the most modulated circRNAs regulate the viability, degradation, apoptosis and oxidative stress in NP cells, and the possible mechanism underlying IDD was discussed. These results revealed that circRNAs may play a role in IDD and might be a promising candidate molecular target for gene therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
pp. 533-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feiyan Wang ◽  
Lan Luo ◽  
Zhenyang Gu ◽  
Nan Yang ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
...  

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) remains a major cause of late non-recurrence mortality despite remarkable improvements in the field of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Although recent studies have found that B-cell receptor (BCR)-activated B cells contribute to pathogenesis in cGVHD, the specific molecular mechanisms of B cells in this process remain unclear. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In our study, human long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) microarrays and bioinformatic analysis were performed to identify different expressions of lncRNAs in peripheral blood B cells from cGVHD patients compared with healthy ones. The differential expression of lncRNA was confirmed in additional samples by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). <b><i>Results:</i></b> The microarray analysis revealed that 106 of 198 differentially expressed lncRNAs were upregulated and 92 were downregulated in cGVHD patients compared with healthy controls. Intergenic lncRNAs accounted for the majority of differentially expressed lncRNAs. A KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis showed that the differentially expressed mRNAs, which were coexpressed with lncRNA, between the cGVHD group and the healthy group were significantly enriched in the BCR signaling pathway. Further analysis of the BCR signaling pathway and its coexpression network identified three lncRNAs with the strongest correlation with BCR signaling and cGVHD, as well as a series of protein-coding genes and transcription factors associated with them. The three candidate lncRNAs were further validated in another group of cGVHD patients by qRT-PCR. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This is the first study on the correlation between lncRNA and cGVHD using lncRNA microarray analysis. Our study provides novel enlightenment in exploring the molecular pathogenesis of cGVHD.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 1271-1281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajia Zheng ◽  
Zhenrong Li ◽  
Tiancheng Wang ◽  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Yongfeng Wang

Background/Aims: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a crucial role in the occurrence of several diseases, including autoimmune diseases. However, their role in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) remains unclear. Here, we aimed to determine the circRNA expression profile in plasma from PBC patients and further explore the value of circRNA in diagnosing PBC. Methods: CircRNA microarrays were used to determine circRNA expression profiles in plasma samples from 6 PBC patients and 6 healthy controls. Statistical analyses identified differentially expressed circRNAs, and these circRNAs were verified by qRT-PCR in 29 PBC patients and 30 healthy controls. MicroRNA (miRNA) target prediction software identified putative miRNA response elements (MREs), which were used to construct a map of circRNA-miRNA interactions for the differentially expressed circRNAs. Results: Our results indicated that there were 18 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated circular RNAs in the plasma from PBC patients compared with that from healthy individuals. Among the differentially expressed circRNAs, hsa_circ_402458 (P=0.0033), hsa_circ_087631 and hsa_circ_406329 (P=0.0185) were up-regulated, and hsa_circ_407176 (P=0.0066) and hsa_circ_082319 were down-regulated in the PBC group versus the healthy group as demonstrated by qRT-PCR. In particular, hsa_circ_402458 was significantly higher in PBC patients not receiving UDCA treatment than in PBC patients receiving UDCA treatment (P=0.0338). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for hsa_circ_402458 for diagnosing PBC was 0.710 (P=0.005). For hsa_circ_402458, two putative miRNA targets, hsa-miR-522-3p and hsa-miR-943, were predicted. Conclusions: circRNA dysregulation may play a role in PBC pathogenesis, and hsa_circ_402458 shows promise as a candidate biomarker for PBC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Lin Wei ◽  
Xia Li ◽  
Lijuan Wang ◽  
Yanyan Song ◽  
Hongmei Dong

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is classified as a sort of serious nervous system syndrome that occurs in the early life period. Noncoding RNAs had been confirmed to have crucial roles in human diseases. So far, there were few systematical and comprehensive studies towards the expression profile of RNAs in the brain after hypoxia ischemia. In this study, 31 differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) with upregulation were identified. In addition, 5512 differentially expressed mRNAs, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) were identified in HIE groups. Bioinformatics analysis showed these circRNAs and mRNAs were significantly enriched in regulation of leukocyte activation, response to virus, and neutrophil degranulation. Pathway and its related gene network analysis indicated that HLA − DPA1, HLA − DQA2, HLA − DQB1, and HLA − DRB4 have a more crucial role in HIE. Finally, miRNA-circRNA-mRNA interaction network analysis was also performed to identify hub miRNAs and circRNAs. We found that miR-592 potentially targeting 5 circRNAs, thus affecting 15 mRNA expressions in HIR. hsa_circ_0068397 and hsa_circ_0045698 were identified as hub circRNAs in HIE. Collectively, using RNA-seq, bioinformatics analysis, and circRNA/miRNA interaction prediction, we systematically investigated the differentially expressed RNAs in HIE, which could give a new hint of understanding the pathogenesis of HIE.


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